Hat display case



Sept. 19, 1933. i E F, THOMAS 1,927,353

` HAT DISPLAY CASE Filed May l, 1931 2 ShBSZS-Sheel',L l

mentoc Sept. 19, 1933. E FI THOMAS 1,927,353

HAT DISPLAY CASE Filed May l. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 19,V15933 PATENT OFFICE UNITED sTATEs In the present invention I provide animprovement over my coi-pending application Serial Number 464,620, ledJune 28th, 1930, which has `matured into "Patent No. 1,872,847, August23,

1932, for improvements in hat display cases, and it is an kobject ofvthe present invention to'make thehat-holding'frames of the displaylcase manually movable, Without theuse of tools, to permit relativeadjustment of the frames, quickly and-Without diiiculty to accommodatehats o-f different styles. f

`Anotherobject of the invention is to provide hat supporting frameswhich are inherently yieldable to automatically exfinto lockingyengagelent with a rigid part of the display case and to permit Vmanualcontraction thereof when the frames are to be disengaged.

The hat display case of the present invention tain the display caseinthe range of vision of` customers, in order that the contents vof thecase may be seen, even though not accessible to a person standing on thefloor. inaccessibility of the contents *of the case, the presentinvention contemplates means for simultaneously urging all of the hatsupporting elements outwardly from the case in order that any one ofsaid elements may be removed to permit examination of the hats containedthereon.

Other objects of the invention Will suggest themselves to those skilledinthe art to which this invention appertains upon consideration of thespecification and the drawings'forminga part of this application, inwhich* l Fig. l is a top plan view of adisplay case constructed inaccordance Withthe present invention, portions of the case being brokenaway;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View thereof, a part of the supportingstructure being .shown fragmentarily;

Fig. 5 is a detail, fragmentary, perspective ViewA of one of the hatframe supporting uprights;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one of the hat frames per se;

Fig. '7 is an entire elevational view of a hat display case constructedin accordance with the In View of the Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional Viewof one of the hat present invention, showing a modified form of thecase;

Fig. `8 is a perspective View of one of the handle receiving socketsofthe hat tray;

Fig. 9 is a detail fragmentary, elevational viewv of the hat framesupporting uprights, showing themanner of bracing the same; and

Fig. .10 is a perspective view of the hat tray actuating handle.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings I have illustrated a conventional formof hat case, generally designated 11, equipped with a sliding door, in amanner Well known in the art. In Fig. 7 I have shown amodied form ofthecase, Aas indicated at 11', Which consists of a transparent covermounted on a base 12. They hat supporting means hereinafter described isthe same, immaterial of the type of case employed.Y

The-hat supporting structure consists of a base 13, which is adapted tobe superimposed on top of a supporting 'structure 14, such as a suitdisplay case or the like. The base 13 isl movable forwardly on thesupporting structure l14 and' is provided With one or more recesses 15,-each of which is adapted to receive a complemental tray 16.

Each of the hat supporting tray-s has a pair of vertical uprights 17mounted thereon, which latter are arranged in parallel relation and areadapted for the reception of hat frames 18 in a manner hereinafter setforth. Each of the uprights 17 consists of a channel iron havinghorizontally arranged slots 19 formed at intervals in thev sidesthereof, the slots of one side being staggered with respect to the slotsin the opposite side. The uprights are further provided with openings20, formed in the ,body thereof, said openings being likewise arrangedin staggered relation to complement the slots 19. Preferably the frames18 are each made of resilient Wire, each of which has an intermediateportion thereof bent to define a semi-ovoidal section 21, which issuesinto side bars 22, the latter being offset as indicated at 23 andterminating in fingers 24. The ngers 24 are formed by turning the freeterminals ofv the side bars outwardly at right angles, as shown toadvantage n in Fig. 6.

rights 17 are maintained from displacement on 1.10

the trays 16 ina predetermined position. Each pair of uprights mountedon one of the trays is adapted to receive a plurality of hat frames 18.The frames are engaged with the uprights by ileXing the free ends of theside bars of each frame to permit the ngered terminals thereof to beinserted through the slots 19, following which the ngers are adapted toexpand or ilex into the openings 20. It is of course, understood thatthe slots of the parallellyarranged uprights are complementally formedin order that the free terminals of each hat frame will be in the samehorizontal plane. The openings 20 in each of the uprights are not onlyarranged in staggered relation, as already described herein and as shownto advantage in Fig. 2, but are likewise offset from the slots 19 inorder that engagement of the frames through the slots 19 nand with theopenings 20, in accordance with the teaching of the present invention,will dispose each frame at an inclination, as shownk in Figs. 2 and 7.This permits the hats to be canted toward the vertical uprights, therebypositively preventing displacement of the hats, especially when thetrays are being urged from the case in a manner hereinafter set out.

In order to move the hats forwardly through the front of the case topermit removal of the same from the latter, I provide suitableoperatingmechanism which includes an operating frame generally designated 27.This frame is of rectangular construction and embodies a pair of rods28, the opposite end of each of which has eyes 29 formed therein. Theeyes at one end of ie rods are adapted for movable engagement with pinscarried by ears 30, the latter being superimposed on the base 13. Theeyes at the opposing ends of the rods 28are engaged by a bar 3l, oneterminal of the latter being extended to provide an operating lever 32.The intermediate portion of the bar 3l is trained through ears-33, whichare mounted upon the supporting structure 14. It is consequentlymanifest that pressure outwardly on the lever 32 will urge the base 13in a corresponding direction.

Preferably the free end of the lever 32 is provided with an eye 34,which may be engaged by a stud 35 formed adjacent one end of a handle36. The handle may be conveniently manipulated by a person standing onthe floor so as to urge the base 13 outwardly, after which any one ofthe hat trays 16 may be removed from the base. To facilitate removal ofthe trays from the base, I provide each tray with a socket member 37secured to the top of the tray. One end of the handle 36, beyond thestud 35 is adapted for insertion in the socket. Obviously pressureoutwardly on the handle will remove the tray from the base.

Whilev the device of the present invention is especially adapted for usein displaying means for hats, it is nevertheless to be understood thatit is susceptible to a variety of uses. Furthermore, although preferredforms of the invention have been herein illustrated, it is also to beunderstood that various changes may be made therein, within the scope ofthe claims hereto appended.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hat display case parallel channel shaped upriglits havingelongated slots inthe flanges of the uprights and corresponding openingsin the` web portion of the uprights, and hat supporting frames engagedthrough the slots and in the openings, said slots and openings Ybeingarranged in different planes to dispose the frames at an inclination.

2. In combination with parallelly arranged uprights, each side of eachof which has slots formed therein, the slots of one side being arrangedin staggered relation to the slots of the other side, hat frames, eachof which has the terminals thereof bent at right angles to provide ngersof a length to be accommodated through said slots and engaged inopenings formed in the body of each upright.

f v lELBERT F. THOMAS.

